Four things to watch versus Belgium

The U.S. men's national team takes on a powerful Belgian squad in a friendly match in Cleveland on Wednesday night (8 p.m. ET, ESPN, WatchESPN). It is the first of five games -- including thee pivotal World Cup qualifiers -- the American squad will play over the next three weeks.

With several regulars still filtering into camp, U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann will have the chance to experiment with players and formations before another friendly on Sunday against Germany in Washington and the three qualifiers that follow next month: at Jamaica (June 7) and at home versus Panama (June 11) and Honduras (June 18).

With 10 Premier League players on its roster, Belgium will provide a stiff opening test. Here are four things to watch for when the game kicks off:

Beasley's big night
There's little doubt that veteran DaMarcus Beasley will earn his 100th cap tonight -- the question is where? With club commitments ruling out Fabian Johnson and Edgar Castillo against Belgium, Beasley figures to start at left back. But since the Yanks haven't been able to generate chances from the wings, there's a chance Klinsmann could deploy Beasley in his natural spot on the left wing and start Michael Parkhurst on defense. Or Beasley could move up the field later in the match.

To read more about what to watch for during Wednesday night's friendly versus Belgium, become an Insider today.

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U.S. National Soccer Team BlogWe're your regular source for all the inside info on the U.S. national team. Whether it's breakdowns of player pool developments, news and notes from the club soccer world and its impact on the American side, or game coverage, we'll bring you consistent, exclusive access and insight. Contact us with comments and tips at ESPNUSSoccerblog@gmail.com.

Doug McIntyreDoug McIntyre has watched or attended almost every U.S. national team game since Paul Caligiuri's "shot heard 'round the world" in 1989. He is a staff writer for ESPN The Magazine and has covered American and international soccer since 2002.